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Long ago, the great kalif of the Sarcosan empire made a pact with the djinn lords of the Eaglesky mountains. These mighty beings of air and magic had been trapped on Aryth since the sundering, but with their genial, almost-human natures they did not find it too confining. With great treasures, works of art and skilled performers, the kalif won the favour of a decadent djinni. Over time, a few humans and djinni intermarried, and a faint trickle of their power runs through the veins of a few Sarcosan families.
Jann, the inheritors of this power, are easy to recognise. They tend to have a slight gold or copper tone to their flesh, and hair and eyes the colour and lustre of polished gems. They are flamboyant and daring, much in love with the pleasure of life, from magic and gold to wine, pulchritudinous company and song. Only Erenlanders and Sarcosans can be jann.

The tale of the archer that killed an Orcish warlord standing in the middle of an orc army; the scout that can see that "Gortha" is the legate that leads the enemy war party a mile away. These are all the whispered tales referring to a hero who fights the Shadow using the gift of his tremendous eyesight. None can compete with them in archery, and their hand eye coordination can reach such levels as to be able to deflect enemy projectiles just before they would hit a friend. Tales of hawkeyed elves have been known to bring paralyzing fear to some of the most hardened Orc veterans.

The Shadow seeks to lock the great roads that once allowed unobstructed journeys across Eredane. After all, a foe that is trapped is one half beaten. The traveler is a hero born with the wanderlust and gifts to surmount these barriers, to wander the land as her heart sees fit, to show people that freedom is not entirely a thing of the past. They are frustrating foes for the Shadow, with their ability to slip from place to place all but unseen, and avoiding any barrier. Travelers tend to be cosmopolitan in their views and experiences, often knowing languages and trivia from all across Eredane.

The legends of the dwarves speak of those favored by Father Sun into whom he breathed his fiery breath to make a more perfect dwarf, one whose love for the forge and the hammers of the forge was forged, as it were, into the very fiber of his being. And other tales tell of the same blessing being mysteriously gifted upon members of other races...

Vampires. To the Dorns, they are the night wanderers. In parts of Erenland they speak of nosferatu or the restless bloodghouls, while the Sarcosans tell tales of hungry sheols walking in eternal hunger. In truth, vampires are very rare in Eredane, and most serve the Shadow as valued lieutenants or Night Princes. Some human and fey families, however, still carry the taint of vampirism in their veins, and it occasionally arises in a dhampyre, a mortal child with some curious abilities reflecting her heritage as a blood-drinking monster.
Dhampyre share little with their forebears: they are alive, visible in mirrors, unharmed by the sun and so on. And, most of all, they are disliked and hunted by their Shadow-sworn ancestors, who view them as a threat. This drives most dhampyre into the arms of the resistance.

Every culture on Eredane has fireside stories and myths about newborn babes that changed shape and coloration overnight. Some believed that the children were possessed by spirits or had been stolen and replaced by dark fey. Itís not known how many children, blessed with the Formless path, were put to death due to fear and superstition. Those children that survived long enough to learn how to hide and control their abilities had the chance to become very powerful. Some of historyís most successful spies and assassins were likely gifted with the Formless path.

Fey scholars believe that in the time of the eldethar, when the world was new and vibrant life took root, that many of the forbearer's had the power to shape the flow of life and speed the growth of what is now the Erethor. As the modern fey races evolved from the eldethar, that life giving power was lost to most of the new races. Legends speak of rare individuals who retained the power and helped shape some of the natural marvels that still exist today, even in this time of darkness and decay. Some of history's greatest healers were believed to Lifebonds. Today the gift is so exceptionally rare that Gethiane may be the last Lifebond. In an era where healing magic is rare and sickness and injury are daily occurrences, a Lifebond can save a community or even a race from extinction.

Even in the grim days of the Fourth Age, there are those who will stand up in the cause of honor, protecting the weak. Though many perish early for their beliefs, some survive. The honorable is one such, and his sense of duty is beyond compare. Justice follows him, and his stalwartness is nigh unshakable.

The warheart carries battle in his soul. To him, every day is a new tactical challenge, every plan a cunning stratagem. He is a natural strategist, and with training and experience he can defeat even vastly superior foes in the field. Battle and combat come naturally to him, and he is only truly at home when leading men in battle.

To some people, self-sacrifice is a natural part of life. They willingly put themselves in harm's way, and suffer where others should have suffered in their stead. The martyr is the epitome of this way of self-sacrifice. No pain is too great for him, as long as he knows that whatever he suffers, someone else would have suffered had he not intervened. His actions will make him highly respected amongst the lowly and suffering, though the mighty or cruel often despise him, and see his actions as foolish and weak. They often also fear him, for they do not understand what makes him keep walking his painful path.

Some people are tied to blood and death. To the Battlebound, the screams of the dying, the howls of the killing, the smell of battle and blood are all irrevocably tied into his existence. He has a sixth sense about blood and death, and wether he wants it or not, the Battlebound draws power from the fury of battle. His soul reaches out for the hate, the fear and the anger, the relief and the joy of survival. It fuels his thoughts and actions, and drives him ever onward. A Battleboundís prowess in battle is great, and he will be feared and respected even by orcs.